65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Samburu National Reserve by Mr Alun Pritchard
A rugged beauty - a sense of the wild.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Review about Ol Pejeta Conservancy by Mr Alun Pritchard
Lacked the sense of wilderness we so enjoyed at Samburu.
US
A surreal day of hiking and wildlife
Though my stay in Hell's Gate National Park was short (1 day) it has remained vivid in my memory.
Our group opted in to take a hike through the gorge at the park, and after an entertaining lunch (provided by our hotel) trying to keep the baboons and monkeys from stealing our food, we started on our way. We did not really prepare well for the hike, which turned out to be more intense than we had thought. At least three times throughout the excursion we had to climb or descend a rope or ladder. There were points where the trail became so narrow, and slippery that we had to bridge over flowing water with our feet on one side of the ravine and our hands on the other. It was a great adventure that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I would suggest coming prepared for more than a light walk.
The gorge was full of wonderful scenery including tall cliffs, flowing water, waterfalls, trees and flowers and even hot springs, and more. If you feel comfortable with a medium to difficult hike, I would highly recommend it. Michael, our Masai guide for the hike, was barefoot the whole time. A few of the people in our group got their shoes wet, so that might be something to take into consideration.
A storm blew in while we were hiking, and our guide seemed nervous and was very helpful with other groups. He paid close attention to the weather. Being so narrow, it makes sense that the gorge is prone to flash flooding, but our guide made us feel safe, and we were well clear of the ravine by the time the rain really started. It was certainly one of the best hiking experiences I have had in my life. If you can do it, you definitely should.
We saw a huge number of animals as were were leaving the park. The sun was setting, and the animals were mingling out in a broad field below some beautiful towering cliffs where vultures perched. We saw herds of zebra and giraffe and gazelle all intermingled. Warthogs and birds ran around in the low grass, and we even saw a secretary bird chasing mice. This being our first stop on the trip, it was overwhelming to see so much. I think it was probably the largest number of animals we saw in one place during our whole trip. Our driver and guide, Sammy, was very patient and had lots of great suggestions for us. He also always got us in a good position for pictures and viewing.
The landscape is unique and beautiful, the animals were abundant, and the hiking was superb. It was also very close to our resort on Lake Naivasha, and it seemed like there were several others nearby as well.
I highly recommend this park if you visit Kenya, but come prepared with good shoes and maybe some rain gear.
65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A life enriching experience.
Our safari was organised by a Kenyan company based in Nairobi and we were extremely satisfied with their arrangements. We visited Samburu, Sweet Water, Naivasha and the Masai Mara. We traveled by Land Cruiser which was comfortable and suited to the terrain (especially in Samburu) and our accommodation met all our requirements. We found the staff to be welcoming and ready to oblige at all the lodges / tented camps. The food was good everywhere and excellent in some instances.
Our guide, who was with us throughout, had a wide breadth of knowledge about the various locations and the wildlife and his experience and understanding added to our pleasure and awe. We particularly enjoyed the arid ruggedness of Samburu and the wide expanses of the Mara punctuated by the odd tree on the skyline.
The animals were plentiful and we were fortunate to see four of the big five (the leopard eluded us) and one of the most memorable experiences was witnessing a lion kill at close range. We were also able to observe a family group of five cheetah in close proximity. Less spectacular, but equally memorable, was the guided walk at Naivasha lake. It is a trip we would happily repeat and we would have no hesitation in using the same company to make our arrangements.
CA
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experience of a live time
The safari's are an incredible experience. We saw every animal we hoped to see and some we never thought we would. White rhino, wild dogs, leopards, lion pride, elephants, etc. etc. Loved it! February the bush is lush but we still saw all the animals.
Good food.
Guides are passionate and dedicated to helping you see the animals.
Thornhill Lodge was fantastic, the people are amazing and the lodge was very clean and nice.
beautiful scenery during the panorama route drive.
HU
Two days out in the African wilderness
I spent a weekend in Mikumi National Park. The trip there is very long, only a few hundred kilometres but takes 6-7 hours, so expect a lot of traffic. The scene is exotic with the high, yet completely green mountains. The park itself is very quiet (at least in February), not many tourists, so you can feel the wilderness close around you. Weather is quite unpredictable, sometimes it rains, sometimes the sun is burning you body. The wildlife was very abundant, everything could be seen except for the rhinos and carnivores. We did see some resting lions though, but usually they are hard to spot. Accommodation was amazing (Camp Bastien), way above my expectations. The guides on the other hand don't speak very much English, so it was hard to gather information from them.
To sum up, I can recommend a visit to this park, but considering the long commute, it would be better to combine this safari with another national park, for example Udzungwa Mountains.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Highly recommended!
Very professionel, competent, friendly and flexible.
A great partner to travel through the adorable Uganda!
CO
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Memorable experience
It was a memorable experience, they made this trip a dream come true! Everything went perfect according to the plan, and we did notice the difference of services between Soul of Tanzania and other conpanies. What they offer Is wonderful! We don’t regret our decision to do this tour with Soul of Tanzania. The price is worth it!
Solo, our guide is an exceptional person. We enjoyed his company a lot, and he has a special sense for animals, so we got to see a lot of them. He’s also a very good driver! We couldn’t ask for a better guide, and we feel very lucky to have had him with us. This experience was beyond our expectations.
SE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
The most amazing experience ever!
My travel to and stay at the Amboseli Kibo camp was a five star experience. The communication was on point, accomodation tip top and transport to and fro were world class. A detailed itinerary provided with follow-up with confirmations. Flexibilty to accomodate my needs and preferences. The safari tour as a whole was out of this world, and it showcased The Amboseli and the country's culture in the best light possible. While I was satisfied with the experience, I was at the same time left yearning to come back for a repeat which I definitely will.
DE
35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Wonderful and efficient
Excellent. I had a nice experience with the tour agent